Audio Aero Capitole; how is it holding up?


A couple of years back the MKI and MKII Capitoles were been raved about everywhere (except for the big name audio press; wonder why?). I am curious on how the Audiogon community feels they are holding out sonically today and what has been your service exprience.
Early this year Steve Huntley of Great Northern Sound was appointed authorized service center for Audio Aero. At the moment I felt that Steve's experience and reputation, together with his great upgrade packages, would add significant value to the Capitole ownership. My experience has been very dissapointing though. On April of 2004 I send my MK I unit for a repair and to make a long and frustrating story short, to this day no signs of it coming back anytime soon due to Audio Aero innaction in sending spare parts to GNS. On my last conversation with Steve he said that has been mostly the norm and that his frustration has him reconsidering his service arrengement with Audio Aero.
What has been your experience?
jmr
Mine was perfect, I had a problem with the output and sent it to Audio Aero directly (I am in Europe). They delivered the player perfectly repaired in few days (a week or so).

Good luck
I have a 3 year old AA Capitole MKII with the 6.4 chip in it. I am the second owner. The player has about 2000 hours on it with no problems so far. I had the SE upgrade on the output board done this year by Globe Audio and it's still going. Sorry to hear about your experience but I sent a few emails to Audio Aero when I got this player asking for a manual for it and I also got no replies, maybe I should have tried typing them in french.

regards,

Remy
Amperidian
Do you speak French?I never got a responce from Northstar Designs either only I don't speak Italian.
George
I have exchanged several emails with AA in France (emails were in English), and never had to wait for the reply longer than a day or two.
George,
Unfortunately I don't speak French. It seems that whitewind has not had this problem at all.
My own experience with all of the Audio Aero people has been excellent. I got a Mark II with one of the first P4 chips and it had some 'ghosts' in it and the folks at Globe were very helpful even though I am the second owner.

My experience with repairs has been with Darryl at Digital Systems in Texas. Darryl is a gentleman and asuming he has the parts he usually has the unit back to you in about ten days. He also upgraded the power supply in my Capitole amp and his fees are reasonable.